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RavingLuhn Recommends: Steam Summer Sale 2016

Ah summer, that time of year for cookouts, outdoor sports, fires, and other activities involving fresh air. It gets everyone else out of the house so you have the computer all to yourself for your gaming binge! The Steam summer sale exists so that you never run out of games for your library. Nearly everything in their digital store is discounted, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options. Therefore, with one weekend left in the sale I humbly offer a few tips to help your wallet and your gaming library:

Set a budget and stick to it. You can get a lot of gaming goodness for not much money, so figure out what you want to spend and work within that limit. It will help you prioritize what you really want versus what you’re attracted to just because of the discount.

Check the price history. Sometimes sale prices are something special, sometimes they’re not much of a deal. Use tools like SteamPrices and IsThereAnyDeal to check the price history of the games you’re interested in.

Remember that the games you want will go on sale again. Just because something is on sale now doesn’t mean you have to buy it right this moment. Be patient and stick to your budget. You and your wallet will be much happier if you can control yourself.

Buy something you wouldn’t otherwise. Good prices mean it’s prime time to try something different. Take a risk; you never know what kind of gems you’ll find.

All set? If you need some suggestions about what to buy, here are some of my very own RavingLuhn recommendations:

FTL – $2.99Take command of a starship and crew as you deliver vital information to the other side of the galaxy in this adventure. The descriptions of “Roguelike” and “randomly generated” mean that no two playthroughs are exactly alike. It’s worth the price for the soundtrack alone.

Just Cause 2 – $3.74Do you like tropical environments? Do you like blowing things up? Do you like having the freedom to drive of fly any vehicle in sight? If you answered yes to any of those questions, buy Just Cause 2 and be entertained for hours and hours.

Burnout Paradise – $4.99Freely drive around a massive city and do whatever you want to. Jumps, crash challenges, and shorcuts abound for the times when all you want to do is explore. When you’re ready to race there’s literally an event at every intersection. One of the finest racers I’ve ever played.

The Orange Box – $4.99Jam-packed with Valve-y goodness, the Orange Box is an absolute steal for five bucks. There’s easily twenty hours of legendary gaming time contained within. Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 are all examples of Valve at their best. Each game by itself is worth the full price of this collection.

Call of Juarez Gunslinger – $7.49Gunslinger is an absolute blast of a Western shooter rendered in stylish cel-shading and told with more flair than most games would even dare. Its relatively brief length is offset by its replayability. Experience every cliched Western shootout imaginable while having the most possible fun.

RAGE + The Scorchers DLC – $8.74As someone who has played everything made by id Software, I still stand by my assertion that their misunderstood shooter from 2011 is the best thing they ever made. Yes, even better than 2016’s DOOM. Rage is that good. The lone DLC pack, The Scorchers, is absolutely essential. The nailgun is a game changer.

Alien: Isolation Collection – $14.99The best Alien game ever. The most atmospheric game I’ve ever played. Run, crawl, hide, and flee through Sevastapol station while pursued by androids, humans, and an unpredicable and relentless alien. Being terrified has never been this much fun.

Homeworld: Remastered Collection – $17.49Homeworld is the most influential real-time strategy game I’ve ever played. Simultaneously epic and intimate, playing the original Homeworld is one of my fondest gaming memories. Gearbox Software did a tremendous job updating the game for modern times, and it’s worth every penny.

DOOM – $35.99id Software did the impossible and released a sequel that lives up to the original genre-defining game from 1993. Coming from someone who’s a notorious penny-pincher, I can tell you I paid $60 for the game and don’t regret it. It’s a steal for $36.

So there you have it. Buy these and you won’t be disappointed. I guarantee it.